Explosive shell



Aug. 20, 1946; R. c. CHAVEZ 2,406,135

EXPLOS IVE SHELL Filed April 12, 1943 Inventor iZez'wlada 6. C/wzyezPatented Aug. 20, 1946 U N i T ED TES ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements inexplosive shells of a type known as shrapnel shells and has for itsprimary object to provide an internal body or container within which themissiles or shrapnel are carried. and adapted for bodily discharging thecontainer from the shell after the latter has reached its target andproviding an explosive charge in the container carrying the shrapnel forexploding the container and discharging and scattering the missiles orshrapnel over the surrounding area.

A further object is to provide an explosive shell of this character inwhich the inner container for the missiles or shrapnel is also providedwith a narcotic or medicinal preparation with which the missiles comeinto contact for deadening the senses of persons struck by the missiles.

An additional object is to provide a device of this character of simpleand practical construction, which is efficient and reliable inperformance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for Which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shell,

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view, and

Figure 4 is a detail of one of the shrapnel missiles.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 5 designates theshell casing having a percussion cap 6 of conventional constructionmounted in its nose or front end, the shell being hollow and open at itsrear end and provided with a closure cap I frictionally fitted inposition at the rear end of the shell.

Positioned in the nose end of the shell is a Weight 8 adapted to keepthe nose of the shell pointing downwardly when the same is dropped froman airplane or when its forward flight is spent to cause contact of thepercussion cap with the target and behind the weight 8 the shell isprovided with an explosive charge 9.

Positioned in the shell immediately behind the explosive charg 9 andsnugly fitted therein, is a container I0, preferably constructed ofsubstantially heavy wax paper or other frangible material and which issubstantially filled with a quantity of missiles designated generally atI I and which comprise a plurality of needle-like members I2 ofmagnetized metal radiating from a common center and having barbs I3formed at their outer ends. The rear end of the container Ill is closedby a wax plug or cap I4.

The weight 8 is provided with a longitudinal bore I5 having a tube I6therein and through which a fuse I'I extends leading from the cap 6 tothe charge 9.

The container I0 is also provided with a longitudinally extendingexplosive charge container I8 which includes a short fuse I9 extendingthrough the front end of the container I B and terminating in theexplosive charge 9. The explosive charge container I8 is preferablyconstructed of waterproof material.

When firing the shell, the explosive charge 9 is fired when the nosestrikes a target and without breaking the shell 5, thus ejecting thecontainer I0 bodily and unbroken from the rear of the shell. The shortfuse I9 will then ignite the charge I8 causing an almost immediatebursting of the container I0 to thus scatter the missiles over a widearea.

Also after the container Ill has been filled with the missiles II andprior to closing the rear end thereof by the cap I l, the container I0is supplied with a suitable narcotic or medicinal preparation preferablyin th form of a thin paste and with which the missiles come into contactand which will serve to deaden the senses of a person struck by themissiles upon the explosion of the container or upon the pricking of thehands or other parts of the body of a person by the missiles after themissiles have fallen. By magnetizing the missiles, the same will adhereto any metal surface with which they come into contact and will thusserve to provide a constant menace for persons liable to contact them.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of use of thedevice will be readily un derstood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. An explosive shell comprising a shell casing having an open rear endand a tapering nose provided with a percussion cap, a frangible shrapnelcontainer in the casing, an explosive charge in front of the container,a closure for the rear end of the casing and adapted to be removedtogether with the container upon ignition of the charge, an explosivecharge in the container and having a fuse communicating with saidcharge, a fuse leading from the percussion cap to said charge, andmulti-pronged missiles in the container having an anesthetic coatingthereon.

2. An explosive shell comprising a shell casing having an open rear endprovided with a removable plug, a shrapnel container of frangiblematerial Within the casing, an explosive charge in the casing in frontof the container, said charge 10 being adapted to remove the plug and todischarge the container from the casing, a plurality of missiles in thecontainer having amultiplicity of barbs, an anesthetic solution in thecontainer in contact with the missiles, and adapted to provide themissiles With a coating of the solution, and an explosive charge in thecontainer having ignition communication with said charge.

.REINALDO C. CHAVEZ.

